A/N: Hello again you cool cats, I apologize yet again for my tardiness in posting this chapter. Damn my muse for alluding me for so long yet again.

I hope everyone had wonderful holidays as there have been quite a few since I last wrote!

We're getting close to the end here folks, only a few more chapters before the (hopefully) exciting conclusion of The Nighthawk Lounge!

As always I hope you enjoy. =)


Chapter 6

"The Coin of Jahayla."

I look back as I stand from my sitting position at the foot of the small twin bed, sliding my pants up.

"Uh, gesundheit?" I ask fastening the top button and turning toward her, looking down at her as she laid covered with crisp white sheets and a baby blue quilt. Her hair tussled and her skin glowing giving away our afternoon activities. She laughs lightly and half rolls her eyes in that way she does when she realizes she's said something that's just gone over my head. I may not have known her long, but I started picking up her cues the moment we met. The perks of being a detective I suppose.

"The Coin of Jahayla." She says again staring at me intently now. "It's said to bring whomever possesses it infinite luck and wealth in business." I continue to just stare at her as I find my shirt balled up in the corner of her small bedroom. Again she laughs and sits up, holding the sheets over her bare chest. "What I took from Lachlan's safe."

It makes sense now, but it doesn't, well not to me anyway.

"A magical coin?" I ask skeptically shaking my head. I've seen a lot in my day but magic isn't among them.

I chuckle to myself and check my wristwatch, nearly quarter past five. Damn, where's the time gone? Oh, that's right. My mouth twists into a wicked smile and I look back at the beautiful blonde on the bed who is just quietly watching me. I'm suddenly snapped back to the reality of what she's just confessed and realized it's been quite some time since my last drink. I could really use one.

"I know it sounds silly, but it's gotta be worth somethin'. I heard 'ol Lachlan boasting about it, said he pinched it off some poor sap in Monaco, never saw it comin'." She shrugs her shoulders, her voice yet again interrupting my thoughts. "Neither did he." She doesn't look smug, or even particularly proud of herself. She's simply stating a fact.

I smirk and wonder how she managed to get a hold of the thing in the first place, I could ask, I should ask, but I doubt she'll tell me the truth anyhow so why waste my breath?

"And where is this magical coin now?" I ask. It was the second thought that came to mind after her declaration, and she looked at me pointedly before shaking her head.

"I'm not telling you that." She responds matter-of-factly.

I furrow my brow.

"And why not? I told you, you need to start trusting me so that I can help you." I insist.

"And that is a two way street detective." She says sitting up a little straighter, the sheets still clutched to her breast. "The less you know, the safer I can keep you."

"The plausible deniability routine aye?" I raise my brows.

"Something like that." She says in a quiet voice, letting me know it's nothing like that, it's something far worse. I can tell by the way her eyes fall to the foot of the bed, it's the first time she hasn't looked me in the eye when she's speaking.

I still my heads, leaving my shirt only half buttoned as I move back toward the bed and take a seat. I press my hand to her cheek, and raise her face so that she is looking at me. I see a glisten of something in her eyes, she looks softer, more fragile than I've ever seen her before, but the moment is short lived and as soon as that look appears, it disappears. Like a flash, and all I see is that tough, smart dame that walked into my office that first day. Damn. I wish she'd let me in.

"What is it?" I ask. I myself am not even sure what I'm asking it is, there could be a dozen answers to that question, but I find myself not caring which one she chooses, just so long as she lets me in and I can hear that sweet songbird voice of hers again. Confiding in me the way I wish she would.

"It's nothing." She says with a sigh, pulling away.

"I know it's something." I press reaching for her again, and she moves further away from me this time, pulling the quilt up to cover her as she moves off the bed, wrapping herself completely and moving toward the dresser in the corner.

I get up and follow her. She's just standing there, looking down onto the neat top of the dresser, it's primarily empty with the exception of some pricy looking French perfume, the polished wood practically reflecting her mirrored image in it's varnish.

I keep a small distance between us but not enough to keep her natural scent of fresh lilacs from invading my nostrils in the most intoxicating way.

I reach my hand out slowly, pausing for a moment before I stroke her golden locks to one side of her neck. I lean forward, my lips next to her ear.

"You can tell me."

Her eyes flicker up to the mirror above the dresser, and I meet her reflection.

"I just." She sighs. "I just don't want anything to happen to you." She shakes her head and looks back down again. "I've grown quite fond of you." She smirks, and rolls her eyes.

I slide my hands around her hips hugging her to me. I lean in and rest my head on her shoulder as she raises her eyes back up to the mirror slowly, shyly meeting my own. I smile and give her a small squeeze.

"I've grown quite fond of you too." I return a smirk of my own, and I can make out a slight flush of her cheeks.

It was in that moment that I made up my mind. In that moment that I realized. I realized that this was who I'd been waiting all my life for. Didn't much matter if it was a dame, or some Tom, Dick or Harry. I'd been waiting for someone I could hold in my arms and be at home. I'd never had much of a home, but here, staring at this pretty little dame, blushing, clutching that baby blue quilt to her chest, regardless of the fact that I'd see it all only moments before, that I realized I'd found my home. Found it in this strong but gentle woman. Someone who's seen the world, like me, but still manages to have kept that little glisten, flickering in her eye when I look deep, when she thinks no one is watching. That little thing I lost so long ago. Hope.

"Hey." I say, turning her toward me, a small smile creeping up her lips as our eyes meet. "If you could go anywhere, pack up and leave tomorrow, where would it be?"

I watch as her expression turns from content, to concerned, to contemplative. A small crease wrinkling in her forehead as she contemplates my question. I give her another tiny squeeze.

"There has to be somewhere you wanna go." I goad. "Anywhere at all. Panama, 'Frisco, Acapulco, Paris, Niagara?" That smirk of hers quirking in the corner of her mouth as I rattle off the most exotic places I can think of. Slightly embarrassed because I know the classy woman in front of me probably knows every inch of the globe while my knowledge only spans the Americas and Europe.

"What are you getting at Bo?" She asks me with a gleam of curiosity in her eyes.

I shrug as I pull back from her slightly.

"Just thinkin'." I respond as nonchalantly as possible. "Where we might go when this is all over." I start fiddling with my shit buttons again, finally managing to button all but the top one.

Lauren raises her brows. She looks surprised but it is quickly overcome by a look of almost schoolgirl dreaminess.

"Well detective, I've never been too terribly fond of the cold."

I grin.

"Well that makes two of up sweetheart, I've had enough of this damnable cold for one lifetime." I chuckle, and she gives me that look of hers again.

"Why Ms. Dennis, are you propositioning me to run away with you?" She asks trying hard not to break into a grin.

"I'm not propositioning Ms. Lewis, I'm telling you to pick a place and we'll go there." She quirks a brow at my forwardness but she doesn't look put off. "So which'll it be, Panama or Acapulco? Unless of course you've got another tropical paradise in mind." I smirk.

"No." She shakes her head. "You managed to hit the nail right on the head detective. Perhaps I should be paying you more." It's my turn to quirk my brow as she smiles smugly and moves out of my direct vicinity and toward her discarded robe, teasing me as she places it over her shoulders just as she drops the quilt covering her. Leaving me pouting slightly. She then moves over to sit at a small vanity positioned just to the right of her single, tiny bedroom window. She picks up a brush, looking into the mirror in front of her as she runs the bristles through her soft blonde locks, watching each stroke. "And what of your private eye business Ms. Dennis?" She asks.

"Well I suppose they probably need detectives down south, just have to learn Spanish."

She's silent for a long moment, not making eye contact, just continuing to brush her hair.

"I've got a class in a half hour, and my shift at the club after that." She finally says breaking the silence. I guess she's dismissing me. Letting me know that's all she has to say for the moment. Maybe my declaration was too sudden. Maybe she's scared. Even if she is she'll never show it. I know I didn't read her incorrectly. I've always been good at reading people. It's what drew me to Private Eye work in the first place after all.

"I'll let you get ready then." I say with a small bow and I turn slowly taking my leave.


I pick up Kenzi coming out of the five and dime around the corner. Like I said before I had already made up my mind. I needed to get Lauren out of that contract and away from Lachlan and this city. This life. And I needed to do it tonight. Even if she didn't say so directly I know we can have a life together. I know it's what she wants too. That spark in her eye, that twitch of her lips when I mentioned it. I just have to get her out.

Kenzi was studying me silently from the passenger seat. Something she's known to do when she wants to ask me somethin' but she doesn't know how I'll respond.

"Would you make with it already? We've only got a few more blocks till the office." I sigh. She continues to stare at me quietly. From the corner of my eye I can see the wheels turning in her head, till she finally opens that usually big mouth of hers.

Took her long enough.

"What are ya' doin' Bo?" She asks, giving me this hard look I've only seen a handful of times from her before.

"I can't say I know what you mean."

She shakes her head at me.

"This Lewis broad Bo. What is this?" She asks.

I shrug.

"She's a client. I'm giving her case my full attention."

She rolls her eyes at me.

"Yeah, Your full attention." She scoffs.

I turn my gaze from the road to glare at her for a moment, letting her know she's out of line. She holds up her hands in defense.

"Listen Bo-Bo. I know you enjoy the pleasure of a woman's company every now and then, I've never had a problem with it before, hell you even seem more focused after! But we've been on this case for weeks now with no lead. The trails are dead cold!"

I furrow my brow.

"She paid half up front, you've had a warm meal and a cold drink every night haven't ya?"

She sighs. She knows she can't argue my point. After a moment she continues.

"Yeah, but how much longer is that gonna last? We need to solve this one or take another case."

"I'm close Kenzi. I can feel it in my bones." I respond adamantly.

"Would you get off that note already?" She almost shouts. I turn my head again so that we're making eye contact.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demand getting frustrated.

"It means you've been thinking you're close for weeks now, spending every evening down at the Nighthawk. At first I thought you were just being thorough, then I thought maybe you were there since Dyson was assigned to Lachlan's post, maybe you canged your mind and wanted him back." I scoff loudly, but she seems unfazed. "But I've seen the way you look at her Bo. It's dangerous. You know better than to get mixed up with a client!" Now she's made me angry. Preaching my own rules to me.

I pull the wheel sharply to the right, hitting the breaks and screeching to a halt on the side of the road, sending Kenzi into the dashboard as we slide precariously on the ice.

"She isn't just some client Kenzi!" I shout, knowing my eyes must be filled with fire the way she almost cringes away from me, trying to disappear into her seat. I don't usually talk to her like this. I know she's had a rough life and I don't like taking out my frustrations on her, even when she's the cause of 'em.

I take a deep breath to calm myself before continuing, "and even so, I'm taking care of it tonight."

Kenzi looks at me with a sort of nervous expression before it turns back to her usual guarded one.

"Alright, what's the plan then boss? Where do ya' need me?" She asks straitening, any faint hint of nerves now completely gone.

I shake my head.

"I've gotta take care of this one on my own kid."

"Like hell you do!" She protests. I look down at the steering wheel and when I don't respond she continues, "you can't just toss me out like last week's spoiled milk Bo! We're partners remember?" If I didn't know her better I'd think she almost sounded hurt.

"No Kenz. I need you to keep your nose clean, this could get messy." I say looking up into her cool blue eyes.

She shakes her head.

"That's code for 'I might not come back', I may not have much book learning Bo, but I know a suicide mission when I see it. I can crack all your codes."

I ignore her and pull the car back onto the icy road and continue on our way. She keeps glaring at me, but my mind's made up, there's nothing she can say or do to stop me.

"Alright Kenz." I sigh trying to sound sincere. "I won't do anything stupid. 'Least not without you." I shoot her a grin and even though she smiles back I can tell she's not fully satisfied. Looks like I'll have to cave and place a phone call to Tamsin when we get in to the office. See if she can provide a distraction for my partner tonight. I know Kenz 'll never forgive me, but it's for the best. It's the least I can do for her, and the years we've kept each other out of trouble.

I don't plan on going in half-cocked, guns blazing. I have a plan. I just hope now it'll work.